The IMF released an update to its World Economic Outlook published in October 2015. The WEO Update, projects global growth to be slightly lower than last fall’s forecast, at 3.4 percent this year, and 3.6 percent in 2017. IMF Chief economist Maurice Obstfeld, launched the new report at a press conference in London.

As the world’s metropolises expand to accommodate more people, the earth’s supply of sand is being pushed to the limit. Deceptively abundant, the basic raw material for glass and concrete can’t keep up with demand. In this podcast, Pascal Peduzzi, of the United Nations Environmental Programme, talks about how our overdependence on sand is unsustainable.

The confluence of globalization and increased travel security has given rise to a flourishing industry, where residency and citizenship can be acquired by those with means. In this podcast we speak with the IMF’s Judith Gold and Ahmed El-Ashram, who coauthored an article entitled “A Passport of Convenience”, published in the December 2015 issue of Finance and Development.

Many more people with HIV are now surviving for longer, thanks to new antiretroviral drug treatments. But their governments must now come up with a way to pay for their ongoing treatment. But the price is putting many countries in sub-Saharan Africa at risk of unsustainable levels of debt.
By Sir Paul Collier, Professor of Economics and Public Policy in the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford

Africa’s strong growth in recent years has helped improve its institutions and policies, spurring more foreign direct investment from countries like China. In this podcast, David Dollar, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, says while China is important to the increasing foreign investment in Africa, its role is far from dominant. Dollar is coauthor of “Investment Renaissance”, published in the December 2015 issue of Finance and Development magazine.

World leaders will meet in Paris in December to forge a new climate deal that caps global warming at 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial revolution levels. But in this podcast, Nick Stern, Professor of Economics and Government at the London School of Economics, says the world is not yet on the two degree path as carbon emissions continue to rise. Stern is author of “The Low-Carbon Road” in the December issue of Finance & Development magazine.

Climate change has been at the forefront of discussions within the development community, as world leaders prepare to present their plans to reduce carbon emissions at the United Nations summit on climate change in December. In this podcast, the IMF’s Gita Bhatt talks to Christiana Figueres, head of the United Nations framework convention on climate change.

From global financial crises to cybercrime, globalization has its downsides. The director of the Oxford Martin School discusses the pitfalls of the global community’s ever closer union, and offers some possible remedies to its darker side.

Economic activity has weakened markedly in sub-Saharan Africa, and the strong growth momentum of recent years has dissipated in several countries. The IMF’s latest Regional Economic Outlook for sub-Saharan Africa puts growth at 3¾ percent this year, lower than in 2009 in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. In this podcast, co-author Céline Allard, says low commodity prices, and tighter financing are key factors.

If there's one country that exemplifies the difficulty in transforming mineral wealth into inclusive growth- it's the Democratic Republic of Congo. The IMF's latest annual economic assessment indicates while growth rates for 2014 were as high as 9.2 percent, poverty rates in the DRC are still among the highest in the world. In this podcast, Norbert Toé, IMF mission chief for the DRC discusses the key findings in the report.

In development circles, governance is often a code word for corruption. But Daniel Kaufmann, president of the Natural Resource Governance Institute, says governance is much broader. In this podcast, Kaufmann talks about how good governance can actually triple a country's per capita income.

The IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) shows global growth at 3.1 percent this year, down from 3.4 percent in 2014. The report says while outlooks vary from country to country, the new WEO forecasts predict slower near-term growth nearly across the board, with increasing downside risks to the world economy as commodity prices continue to fall.

Cuba has been out of bounds for American tourists for more than 50 years. But with the US recently restoring diplomatic relations, some say it’s just a matter of time before the floodgate opens to a whole generation of baby boomers wanting to experience some of Hemmingway’s favorite watering holes. In this podcast the IMF’s Nicole Laframboise talks about how the thaw in relations between the US and Cuba could shake up the Caribbean tourism industry.

Inflation can determine a currency’s purchasing power as high inflation means rising prices. But what drives inflation differs from region to region. In this podcast we talk with Oral Williams, IMF Mission Chief for Malawi and coauthor of a new research paper that shows the drivers of inflation are changing in sub-Saharan Africa.

Asia fared well throughout the global financial crisis and has since become one of the strongest economic regions in the world. But with the global economy such as it is, a new book published by the IMF says Asia’s financial systems are facing new challenges. In this podcast coauthor Jim Walsh talks about The Future of Asian Finance.

While the gap between rich and poor is widest in Latin America, research led by Nora Lustig shows it’s the only region in the world where the gap is actually narrowing. But in this podcast, Lustig admits it’s still unclear what specifically is behind the trend.

Poverty can mean different things in different countries. The creator of the “Multidimensional Poverty Index” explains how the measure is designed to expand policymakers’ understanding of poverty beyond the traditional benchmark of living on less than $1.25 per day.

World trade has slowed in the past decade. Professor Douglas Irwin says countries need to shift from focusing on trade barriers at borders, to domestic reforms that would help entrepreneurs get their goods to port cities for export.

Russia is now likely in recession with GDP growth expected to decline 3.4 percent this year, says the IMF in its annual economic assessment. Mission Chief Ernesto Ramirez Rigo, explains how Russia’s economic woes are largely due to the dramatic drop in oil prices, and sanctions in response to developments in Crimea and Ukraine.

India has invested nearly half a trillion dollars in its infrastructure over the last decade, but finding the funding for mega-projects is only half the challenge. The head of one of the country’s leading infrastructure finance companies explains.

IMF board of Directors approved a package of proposals to help developing countries finance the new Sustainable Development Goals. IMF’s Sean Nolan says the package will enhance the financial safety net for low income countries and fragile states.

Increasing trade can spur growth says Mari Pangestu of Jakarta’s center for Strategic and International Studies. In this podcast Pangestu talks about how efficient, open and fair regional trade agreements make for a healthier global trade environment.

The IMF recently published a study on the world’s water resource management challenges. Co-author Laure Redifer says Burkina Faso is an example of how efficient water resource management can improve a country’s economic prospects.